Son pleads for help in solving father's murder

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WOODINVILLE, Wash. -- Wayland Cossey is pleading to the community for help to find whoever it was that killed his 71-year-old father, and King County Sheriff's detectives say they're trying to identify whoever mailed critical pieces of evidence to the murder victim's house.

Earl Cossey was found dead on April 27 inside his Woodinville home. The coroner later determined he had died from a blow to the head four days earlier.

"He did not deserve what happened to him," Wayland Cossey said. "My dad would have given everything on his person all his money to avoid his fate."

Earl Cossey was a beloved teacher and coach at Leota Junior High School for more than 25 years. He was also a former skydiving instructor who packed the parachutes that were given to legendary skyjacker D.B. Cooper more than 40 years ago.

Neither police nor the Cossey's believe there is any connection between the hijacking and the homicide, but there is one critical clue. After Cossey was killed, his son said he had his father's mail forwarded to his home, and several days after his father's body was found, an anonymous letter came to Wayland's home.

Inside was his father's identification, bank cards and credit cards. Detectives believe Cossey's cards were stolen by his killer, who then discarded them.

"They weren't dropped where he was murdered but they were dropped somewhere," said Det. Jake Pavlovich with the King County Sheriff's Office. "Whoever found them mailed them back anonymously and I would love to know where it was they found them. There may be video evidence there or other people that witnessed it."

Police say the person who mailed the cards is not a suspect in the case but learning the location of where the cards were found could lead them to the killer... and closure for the family.

Detectives say the person who mailed the letter can remain anonymous -- all they need to do is send another handwritten letter to police with the location of where they found Cossey's belongings.